Introduction to Fukuoka
Fukuoka is the biggest city on Kyushu Island and it belongs to the top 10 largest cities in Japan. Because of its convenient location near the mainland (Fukuoka is closer to Seoul than to Tokyo), it has been a trading hotspot for over 2000 years, which makes it also one of the oldest cities in Japan. Today’s Fukuoka is famous for its delicious local cuisine, dazzling art scene and overall youthful vibe. what to do in Fukuoka
We were in Fukuoka only for one day, but I can imagine spending here a lovely weekend. This city has definitely a lot to offer and because of its pleasant warm climate, it is the perfect holiday destination. We travelled around Kyushu in December, when it was already a bit cold, but if you are planning to go from March to October, save at least two days to explore this vibrant city and its surroundings. Here are some of my tips, what to do in Fukuoka, how to spend here a perfect day, plus some extra inspiration for more activities.
Visit TeamLab Forest Museum
You’ve probably heard about the TeamLab Planets and TeamLab Borderless museums in Tokyo – creative digital spaces where you are able to walk directly into the art installation and be taken away to faraway lands of your own imagination. The rooms are filled with beautiful moving pictures that play with all your senses and you literally feel like you stepped into a different world.
In Fukuoka, there is a new TeamLab Forest museum that opened only in summer 2020! In several dark rooms, you will able to go through this like-out-of-this-world experiences, starting with digital forest full animals, jumping through a room full of colourful spheres, to the glass tunnel that will take you a windy room filled with large white balls flowing around and changing colours. Neither to say, I was in love with this museum!
The ticket costs 2200 yen (about 22 USD) and you can buy it directly in the Boss E building in automats located on the first floor. The exhibition spaces of TeamLab are on the 5th floor and once you are in there, you can go through it over and over again. TeamLab Forest is located next to the PayPay Stadium nearby the coast and it is a walking distance from another great attraction in Fukuoka – Fukuoka Tower. what to do in Fukuoka
Eat delicious Hakata Ramen
Fukuoka has a rich food scene, but if you shall try only one dish here, it should be Hakata ramen! Hakata ramen is a type of tonkotsu ramen, signature with thick creamy broth made with pork bones. Hakata is a neighbourhood of Fukuoka where this ramen originated and soon it became popular not only in Japan, but over the world. The restaurant serving the best ramen in Fukuoka is called Hakata Issou. It’s a small joint located nearby Hakata Station and they are open from 11 am till midnight. You may have to wait in line as it is very popular but it is worth your time! what to do in Fukuoka
Check out the coast
Fukuoka is a beach town located just by the coast of the Sea of Japan. You can find long-stretched, man-made beaches with soft sand in the Momochi Park right under the Fukuoka Tower. There are some good restaurants nearby, and beach-volleyball nets. Shikanoshima Island is also rich with sandy beaches and the area around the Marine World is famous for its palm trees and promenades by the sea.
Watch sunset from Fukuoka Tower
Fukuoka Tower is 234 meters tall triangular structure located in the Momochi Park. It is the tallest seaside building in Japan, designed to withstand the magnitude 7 of an earthquake. You can visit its several observation platforms to enjoy the scenic views over the city and the coast. Each observation platform has a different feature where you can take nice pictures to capture your memories in Fukuoka.
Fukuoka Tower doesn’t offer great views only from the inside, but it’s also pretty to look at from the outside. Its sharp appearance is softened with 8000 half-mirrors that project the sky and the sea on its walls, while at night, you can enjoy different seasonal illuminations, such as cherry blossoms in spring and Christmas tree in winter. what to do in Fukuoka
The tower is open daily from 9:30 till 22:00, with the last admission at 21:30 and the entrance fee for an adult is 800 yen (about 8 USD).
Explore Boss E ZO - Entertainment building
Boss E ZO Fukuoka is the latest and hottest entertainment facility that opened its doors only in July 2020. When looking from the outside, the first thing you’ll notice is a long tube surrounding the whole building. It goes from the roof all the way down and you can actually slide inside it! Boss E ZO is packed with different attractions for all ages, cafes, restaurants, theatre and more. TeamLab Forest is located on the 5th floor, but that shouldn’t be the only destination you shall visit here.
Relax in the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park
As the name suggests, Uminonakamichi is beautiful vast park and a leisure space sprawling along the seaside. It includes several attractions, such as petting ZOO, several outdoor pools operating in the summer, amusement park, playgrounds, campsite, barbecue area and more. One of its most famous features, however, are the seasonal flowers exhibitions – every month a different type of flower is in bloom, for example narcissus in February and March, hydrangea in Jun or tulips in April. They grow on an amazing large field you can walk between them. Unfortunately, there are no flowers in bloom at the beginning of December when we went, but the park was still a nice place to visit. what to do in Fukuoka
Uminonakamichi Seaside Park is the perfect place to spend a day, not only for families. In the park, you can rent bikes, as it is really big and you cannot see it all only by walking. Other option is taking the local park shuttle. The fee to the park is 450 yen per adult (approx. 4.50 USD) and kids under 15 years old have free entry. Bicycle rental is at the entrance and it costs 700 yen per day for an adult and 400 yen for a children’s bike. Park bus shuttle offers flat rates – 500 yen for an adult and 200 yen for a child.
Nearby the park, there’s also Marine World with great exhibition of ocean animals and dolphin shows. You can take here a train to the JR Uminonakamichi Station, or take a ferry to Saitozaki Ferry Terminal (we wanted to take a ferry back to the city but unfortunately they were out of service during our visit).
More things to do
If you are visiting Fukuoka for a weekend, here are some more tips how spend here your time.
Ohori Park
Ohori Park is one of the most prominent and beautiful parks in Fukuoka. You can find here a fairly large pond in the park’s center. The pond’s sides are connected with a set of bridges, pavilions and islands so you can walk through it, plus there is a walking path around its circumference. The entrance to the park is free, however, if you would like to visit adjacent Japanese Garden, they will charge you a small fee for that.
Canal City Hakata
Canal City Hakata is a shopping center and an entertainment complex with water canals running right through it. If you are planning to do some shopping in Fukuoka, this is the place to go. You will also find here several ramen shops, where you can sample the famous Hakata ramen. what to do in Fukuoka
Eat some street food at yatai by the Nakasa River
As I mentioned before, Fukuoka has a vibrant food scene that is best represented by its love to street food. Yatai are street-food stalls in Japanese, and every night (from 6 pm until 2 am) by the Nakasa River, they come to life and create a little market where you can sample all the amazing Japanese dishes this city has to offer. There are around 20 yatai and they became the symbol of the city, as they are slowly disappearing in other parts of Japan. The most typical dishes to try, besides the Hakata ramen, are chicken skewers yakitori and winter hot pot oden. They also serve some alcoholic beverages and tea.
Fukuoka Art Museum
If the weather is not in your favor, you can visit Fukuoka Art Museum located within the Ohori Park. The displays include not only Japanese artists, but you can admire here some valuable Buddhist artefacts and works from famous international modern artists such as Salvatore Dali and Joan Miro. The museum is open daily from 9:30 till 17:30, except of Mondays when it’s closed. The entrance fee is 200 yen. what to do in Fukuoka
Fukuoka Castle Ruins
Fukuoka Castle was built in the 17th century and at that time it was the biggest castle on Kyushu. Unfortunately, during Meiji Restoration it was completely torn down and today there are only a few ruins left in the Maizuru Park, which conveniently located next to the Ohori Park. Maizuru Park is particularly beautiful in late March and early April, because of its many cherry trees. Visitors can walk through tunnels created by flowers and enjoy hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties and picnics. what to do in Fukuoka
Airport Observation Deck
This may seem a little bit strange, but Fukuoka airport has really cool observation deck that you shouldn’t miss if travelling in or out the city via plane. The airport, unlike anywhere else I’ve seen, is located right in the center and it not only gives you great skyline views but also over the planes on the runway. I was really surprised seeing this and can only recommend you to check it out as well.
Nanzoin Buddhist Temple
If you would like to get out from the city and explore the surroundings of Fukuoka, there are some gems hiding nearby. Nanzoin Temple is only within 25 minutes away and it features an impressive 41 meters long and 11 meters tall reclining Buddha statue. Nanzoin Temple is the start of the Sasaguri pilgrimage route that is 44 kilometers long and takes 3 days to complete.
Sakurai Futamigaura Shrine
Sakurai Futamigaura of Meotoiwa is a popular sunset spot by the sea in Itoshima, about hour and a half away from the center of Fukuoka. This place is no only about the beach and dramatic coastline, the main highlight is actually a massive white torii gate rising from the sea that makes it so special. It was also selected as one of the top 100 sunset spots in Japan. The beach is lined with cafes and restaurants and nearby mountains are hiding a couple of hiking trails.
Getting around Fukuoka
The metropolis of Kyushu is well-connected by public transport that is not difficult to navigate. You can get around the city via JR trains, subway, or buses. The JR Line connects the whole Fukuoka Prefecture and the most convenient and biggest station is Hakata. Metro has 3 main lines – Airport line, Nanakuma and Hakozaki. It takes only 5 minutes to get from the airport to Hakata station, and additional 11 minutes to Tenjin station, which the second biggest station in the city. Wherever the trains cannot go, the area is covered by buses. For tourists the most convenient bus is the loop bus which covers all the points of interests and it costs only 100 yen per ride.
Note: You should be able to use your IC card on majority of trains and buses just like anywhere around Japan.
Where to stay in Fukuoka
If you are travelling to Fukuoka only for a day or two, your best option would be staying nearby one of the main train stations – Hakata or Tenjin, or by the coast for the holiday vibes. Both Hakata and Tenjin neighborhoods are modern cosmopolitan areas with many great options where to grab a bite or go out for a cocktail, however, if you are seeking a really authentic local experience, you won’t find it here. Nishijin Station area is one the best when you want to experience traditional Japanese shopping, as it is filled with old-fashioned shops. It is full of history and culture and up to this day it is one of the most important shopping districts in Fukuoka.
When it comes to hotels, Fukuoka has options for all the budgets – from backpackers, through families to a high-end customer. We stayed in a new 3* hotel Quintessa, only about 5 minute walk from Tenjin station and we were very satisfied with our pick! Tenjin Station area is very convenient and the hotel had also awesome breakfast bar. what to do in Fukuoka
As I said at the beginning, we spent in Fukuoka only one day and I regret a little bit our decision not to stay there longer! At least I have a reason to come back and this time I will make sure I will visit over spring or summer when all the flowers in the parks are in bloom and I can enjoy the beach as well.
What about you? Have you visited Fukuoka? What other places in Kyushu have you been to?
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